My father's car is a 2016 Toyota Corolla with 49,000 miles on it. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but according to the car's manual it takes 4.4 quarts of engine oil to bring it to the full level. When I add this amount on an oil change, the dipstick shows twice or almost twice as much oil as it should. Is there any reason for this? Should I worry about it?
The 2016 Corolla owner's manual states:
"Oil capacity Drain and refill - reference*
with filter 4.4 quarts
without filter 4.1 quarts
* The engine oil capacity is a reference quantity to be used when changing the engine oil. Warm up and turn off the engine, wait more than 5 minutes and check the oil level on the dipstick."
The manual for my wife's 2013 Accord states that the refill capacity is 4.5 quarts with oil and filter change, but after adding 4.0 quarts the oil level is exactly at the maximum fill line.
My 2004 Avalon calls for 5.0 quarts to refill after an oil change, and it takes exactly 5.0 quarts to do so.
It is usually best to add .5 to 1.0 quarts less than the manual states, check the level and gradually add to the proper level.
As your manual states, "the engine oil capacity is a reference quantity."
My fear is that I might add too little oil if I take it just to the second dot. If I understood you right, what you say is (assuming I have the right dipstick) I should not go over the full level indicated on the dipstick regardless of what the reference on the manual might be. And in my specific scenario, I probably added too much oil to my car. Am I correct?
The lower mark (line, dot or other) on the dipstick indicates the minimum oil level while the upper mark denotes the maximum oil level. You should keep the oil level somewhere between the two marks preferably close to but not above the upper mark.
The lower mark indicates that the oil is approximately one quart low. Any reading above the upper mark indicates that you added too much oil. Too little or too much oil can cause engine damage.
I am not quite sure what you mean by twice as much oil. That would be 8.8 quarts which would be over flowing. I think you mean the dipstick indicates your a quart above the fill line on the dipstick. One remote possibility is that you have the wrong dipstick. I did have a engine blow up after the owner lost the dipstick and the got one from a junk yard and it was the wrong length. I would verify that first.
You have to find whether the 4.4 quart number sited in the manual is total crankcase capacity when totally dry or what should be replaced during an oil change. There is still oil in the engine despite you having drained the oil pan. I am also assuming you have changed the filter which will account for about a pint of oil. You should not fill above the fill line. After filling you should start the engine and let it run for a minute or two to circulate the oil around. Then recheck the level. Chances are the level will drop after the oil fills up the filter and all the passageways in the engine. At that point you can top it off.
Oil level is serious business so if any one else has a comment by all means chime in.
I have a car that had this issue (purchased used), the oil level was showing way overfilled on the dip stick. However, after changing the oil myself and adding the correct amount, i determined the dipstick must have been changed at some point or maybe it never was accurate. I simply added a small notch on the dispstick metal that showed where the proper level should be. Life is good
